This $7-billion redevelopment is the future of Lougheed Town Centre

This massive $7-billion redevelopment is the future of Lougheed Town Centre (RENDERINGS)

Artistic rendering of the City of Lougheed's transit plaza area. (Shape Properties)

The scale of the planned redevelopment within the area in and around Lougheed Town Centre shopping mall will rival Metro Vancouver’s other town centres in Brentwood and Oakridge.

Pre-construction on the first phase of the City of Lougheed redevelopment has been happening for some time now, but the project has not received the same attention as some of the region’s other new major transit-oriented developments.

Current condition

Aerial view of the existing condition of Lougheed Town Centre. (Google Maps)

Future condition

Master plan for the City of Lougheed redevelopment of Lougheed Town Centre shopping mall. (Shape Properties)

Upon the full completion of all phases, the $7-billion, 37-acre redevelopment of Shape Properties’ mall site will entail over 20 towers reaching up to heights of 65 storeys, with over 10,000 units of housing within nearly 11 million-sq-ft of residential space.

Another major component is the project’s retail space, with about 1.5 million-sq-ft of new retail — more than doubling the retail space of the existing indoor mall. Much of the retail space will be centred around a galleria spine — a pedestrian-only, glass-covered outdoor retail strip spanning over 300 metres long.

Artistic rendering of the Galleria of the City of Lougheed. (Shape Properties)

Artistic rendering of the entrance plaza into the City of Lougheed. (Shape Properties)

Street front retail opportunities are also planned for portions of the new road network going through the site, Austin Road, and the north-south Grand Promenade that begins from the new landmark glass canopied transit plaza serving SkyTrain’s Lougheed Town Centre and the redesigned bus exchange.

An architecturally-unique covered pedestrian overpass will hover over Austin Road to provide a direct connection between the transit plaza and the galleria.

Artistic rendering of the Galleria of the City of Lougheed. (Shape Properties)

Artistic rendering of the City of Lougheed’s transit plaza area. (Shape Properties)

Some retail and the bulk of the project’s office components, about one million sq. ft. of office space, will be located near the transit plaza.

Significant public spaces will provide balance to the density coming to the area, including a large 1.6-acre central open space that serves as both a civic park and urban plaza. It can host up to 10,000 people for community events, concerts, and festivals.

A number of other public spaces will be scattered across the area, including Creekside Open Space, a linear waterway and greenway that pays homage to the area’s Lost Creek; terraced pocket parks along North Road; and Cochrane Steps, a series of steps that celebrates the area’s sloping topography.

The entire development and its public spaces will be connected by a network of pedestrian-only and cycling pathways and pocket open spaces.

Artistic rendering of the City of Lougheed. (Shape Properties)

As for the current first phase on a parcel at the northwest corner of Austin Road and North Road, the redevelopment’s first four towers will contain 1,350 market ownership homes and 230 market rental homes. The base of these towers will be occupied by over 90,000-sq-ft of retail and restaurant space, with half of this space dedicated to a major grocery store.

A completion of the first phase is anticipated by mid-2021.

Artistic rendering of the first phase of the City of Lougheed. (Shape Properties)

The City of Lougheed project falls within the City of Burnaby’s approved Lougheed Town Centre Core Area Master Plan, which covers an area of 72 acres including the Lougheed Town Centre shopping mall, the former Sears warehouse site, surrounding commercial properties, and the Lougheed Village rental housing complex.

The municipality’s master plan calls for up to 20,000 residents and 12.86 million-sq-ft of retail, commercial, office, and entertainment space.

As for the City of Lougheed, its redevelopment master plan was designed by James Cheng Architects, and the first phase design was created by GBL Architects.

Shape Properties is also behind The Amazing Brentwood redevelopment, located a few stops west on the Millennium Line.

Lougheed Town Centre Core Area Master Plan. (City of Burnaby)

Along the Evergreen Extension of the Millennium Line, there are also other clusters of redevelopment, including Burquitlam Station, where nearly a dozen residential towers are planned. A major redevelopment is also envisioned for Coquitlam Centre near the eastern terminus of this SkyTrain line.

See also